Improvement in mechanical movements



H. E. TOWLE.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

No.181 805. Patented Sept. 5, 1876.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

HAMILTON E. TOWLE, OF NEW YORK, 'N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN MECHANICAL MOVEMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 181,805, datedSeptember 5, 1876; application filed August 24, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAMILTON E. 'lowLE, civil engineer, of the city,county, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Mechanical Movements, which improvement is fully setforth in the following specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of anapparatus containing my invention. Fig. 2 shows the barB,operatingthrough the carrier (1 on wheel 3. Fig. 3 is a view of the backof plate F, showing the restoring-springs s s s and s and their stopsalso, the intersecting grooves, similar to g, g g and g Fig. 4 is a sideelevation, showing the relation of bar 13, knob K, and projection J andpin 12 Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to converting reciprocating motion into rotarymotion or to other reciprocating motion, the resulting motion beingproduced at either one or another of two or more points more or lessdistant from'the point of application of the actuating force, the pointsof the resulting motion being chosen at the will of the operator, whoapplies the actuating force at a single point or handle. For example,two, three, or more wheels may be arranged so that either of them may bemoved about its axis a prescribed amount by the actuating force appliedat a common knob or handle, and the motion ofa wheel may bestopped, andeither of the others in the system may be started, and the change fromany one to any other may be made at will, and without disturbing thosewhich it may be desired to keep at rest.

Instead of wheels turning, there may be substituted levers to be actedupon, which may perform any specific duty in any machine to which thesaid lever may be the prime mover.

The object of my invention is to enable the operator, by manipulatingbut one handle or knob, to actuate any other mechanism of the system atwill without changing his hold, or losing time for making anyadjustments or movements other than those peculiar to the prescribedpaths of the point connection of the actuating force. For example, hemay open or close either one of two or more electric circuits, and leavethem as he desires, and next operate upon either of the others, and, ingeneral, change about at will.

A most obvious case of useful application would be to aregistering-machine, for registering, on counting-wheels of any approvedmanufacture, avariety of rates of fares on the number of persons payingeither of a number of rates of fare, and keeping the various kindsseparate, and the numbers of each kind paid quite clear and distinctfrom the others. It is applicable to work any registering-machine, andseveral of them may be connected to be worked by one actuating-knob,whereby the conductor of the operations can control his business andmake the proper registration with great celerity and convenience.

The attachment or combination of alarmbells or other devices with myinvention is within the power of any one skilled in the art of makingregisters and similar machinery. I therefore do notdescribe allapplications where my improvements would be desirable, but state ingeneral that it is intended to be used in all places where such motionsas it is capable of delivering at various points are now produced in theordinary ways.

Let the wheels W W W and W Fig. 1, represent the primary wheels (orpoints of application of moving force) in four different systems ofmechanism. For example, they may be of four counting or adding machinesof any known kind. Let it be desired to move wheel 1 one tooth only at atime, and wheel 2 two teeth, wheel 3 three teeth, and so on, for anyreasonable number of wheels and amount of angular motion required ofthem. Each of the wheels is centered on a suitable axis. The wheels maybe graduated disks, with graduations corresponding to the number ofteeth on the respective wheels.

K is the actuating lever, knob, or handle, for the operator to apply theforce to.

B is the sliding bar, the upper end of which,

at the point p, is made to move in a prescribed path, (shown in thisexample to be a right liue,) corresponding to the groove g, in which thepin at 1) travels. The extent of longitudinal motion of the bar 13 maybe limited by the length of the groove 9 org 'rier d will engage in theteeth of and that wheel will turn the corresponding Knob K is fixed atthe lower end of bar B, which also has a limited and prescribed sidewiseor lateral motion in each direction.

Two intersecting grooves for the motions of the four wheels are made toguide or be controlled by a second pimp which groove corresponds to thelateral motions required.

Four springs, s s s and s, are made to press against stops a 0. &c.,while the bar B is in its normal or intermediate position, ready to beacted upon. These springs restore the bar B to this normal positionwhenever it is left subject to their action, communicated through orupon a pin, 1), or other suitable means of connection with bar B.

To the bar B, at convenient points a e 0 0,

are attached pushers, pawls, hooks, or car- .riers d! d? d d, adapted toengage their respective wheels 1 2 3 4.

Carrier d will actupon wheel 1 when the knob K is pulled down, and, asshown in Fig.

1, it is adapted to move that wheel the space of one tooth only, whenthe stop-pin p 4 or p and end of groove g or g limits further motion.

in the groove 9 Any stop will serve as well as one The motion havingbeen made as desired,

and the force on the knob K slackened, the parts will be moved by thesprings and go directly to their normal positions.

If wheel 2 is to be moved, shove up the knob K by pressing the fingerand thumb,

one against the bottom of the knob, and the other against the upper sideof the shelf or projecting finger-support J. The bar B will be movedupward, the hooked pawl or carwheel 2,

amount due to the upward motion.

Should wheel 3 be the one to be moved, press knob K to the right bynipping the knob and finger-support J together, which will make thecarrier d act on wheel 3 and move it three teeth, as limited in this in:stance.

' To move wheel 4 a similar movement of-K toward J will eifect'thedesired result without disturbing any other of the wheels.

All the parts are mounted on the base or foundation piece F, which maybe a tube having the bar B projecting through one end,

and working in various grooves cut radially in the head or end piece ofthe tube, while the other end of the bar B may be guided in a hole inthe head of the other end of the tube, so as to admit of reciprocatingmotion of the bar through the tube, to allow the moving bar to operatecarriers working upon two more points than would be possible if themotions of the bar were confined to radial many applications of thisinvention to numerous useful purposes.

The g'rooves or slots for guiding the bar B may be made in the baritself or in the foundation-piece F, or in a separate plate convenientlysecured to the frame or base of the machine.

Springs to keep the carriers in proper position, and stops to limit themotion of the carriers in the various directions, are shown in thedrawings so clearly as not to require any elaborate description here.

The letter s is used to indicate springs, and the letter a to indicatestops.

Projections or abutments for giving sup port to the fingers of theoperator are marked with the letter J, with numerals added.

Wheels representing the primary moving parts of several systems in thesame organization, acted upon through the initial point on knob K, aremarked with the letter W and a numeral, thus: W W W &c.

The wheels 1, 2, 3, and 4 are prevented from turning backward by theholding springpawls 1L1, h, it and h.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. Amovable bar provided with a suitable means for applying the actuatingforce by which itis moved at will in two or more prescribed directions,corresponding to predetermined motions of two or more independentelementary parts of independent mechanical devices or systems, eachcapable of being actuated by force delivered through said movable bar bysuitable connections, combined with restoring-springs, by which themovable bar is brought into its normal position, ready for a newactuation in either of its prescribed directions, substantially asdescribed.

a movable bar, actuating carriers controlled by stops, capable of motionin two or more directions, and capable of driving separately throughsaid carriers either one of two or more systems of mechanism,substantially as described. a

3. The combination of a handle or finger piece, adapted to move in twoor more directions, with the finger-supports, corresponding to themovements in said directions, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of a movable bar, capable of movement in two or moredirections, with restoring-springs and stops to bring the bar into itsnormal position, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination of a handle or finger piece with two or morefinger-supports, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Dated at the city of Washington, District of Columbia, August 24, 1876.

Witnesses: HAMILTON E. TOWLE.

JNo. D. PATTEN, S. E. CARPENTER.

